The petition of the residents of the village of Roughton in North Norfolk,
Declares that Post Office services in the village must be protected as they are a vital lifeline for many residents.
The petitioners therefore request that the House of Commons urges the Government to work with the Post Office to review the closure of Roughton Post Office, seek alternative arrangements to protect the existence of a Post Office in Roughton, and ensure that there is reliable and appropriate access to Post Office services within Roughton.
And the petitioners remain, etc.—[Presented by Steff Aquarone, Official Report, 17 January 2025; Vol. 760, c. 699.]
[P003034]
Observations from the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Business and Trade (Gareth Thomas):
Thank you to the petitioners for raising concerns regarding the closure of Roughton post office. The Government recognise how important post offices are to their communities, and thus fully appreciate the impact a post office branch closure can have on a community.
Roughton post office closed on 7 January following the resignation of the postmaster and withdrawal of premises for post office use. Post Office Ltd has been exploring how it can maintain a post office service in Roughton but no suitable retailers in Roughton have been found to apply to operate the post office. The postmaster from Aylsham post office has agreed to run the mobile service, which presents the best possible solution to restore post office services to this community. The service commenced on 9 January and provides services at the New Inn car park, Roughton, NR11 8SJ, every Thursday between 3 and 4 pm.
The Government protect the post office network by setting minimum access criteria to ensure that 99% of the UK population lives within 3 miles of a post office. The access criteria ensure that however the network changes, essential services remain within local reach of all citizens.
The Post Office has the freedom to make commercial decisions regarding the composition of its network, providing it fulfils the Government-set access criteria. Decisions around individual branches are a matter for the Post Office.